I recently found out there are so many funny dating customs in this world, so I thought I’d share a few of them with you. When you think of dating customs, most of us think of a guy asking a girl out on a date. They go out for a nice dinner, drinks or maybe just a quick lunch. The guy pays the bill, drops her off at home and there you go: you had your first date. If you want to know more about dating customs in other countries, keep on reading, because I have some interesting, and sometimes funny dating customs for you.
Snapshot Survey
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Please subscribe for your personalized newsletter:
1. Japan
There are a few funny dating customs in Japan. For example, there is no such thing as casually dating and the main objective of dating is the actual marriage. Additionally, where in most modern countries it’s accepted to start dating when you’re in high school, in Japan, dating is saved for their college years. But one of the funniest customs is that women are to buy guys white chocolate on Valentine’s Day, while the guys just sit back and receive. One month later, they celebrate White Day, where the guy, should he be interested in the girl he received chocolate from on Valentine’s Day, must give the girl twice as much chocolate. The horror of having to wait one month to find out if he’s into you…
2. The Netherlands
While many countries have a list of well-known rules when it comes to dating, these are literally thrown out the window in The Netherlands. Here, it doesn’t really matter if a guy asks a girl out on a date or the other way around. Also, things might happen on first dates that no one frowns upon and sometimes it even happens that a woman asks a guy to marry her. To the Dutch, the rules of dating are apparently meant to be broken. I was born and raised in The Netherlands, but while adding this country to the list, I’m quite happy to have been raised with Southeast Asian values. Funny thing to know: some foreign men, who move to The Netherlands, feel like they have landed their feet in heaven, because of the fewer dating rules that the Dutch follow.
Frequently asked questions
3. Iran
Dating in Iran isn’t funny at all to be frank, simply because there is no dating scene to be found. In Iran, marriages are mostly arranged by parents, who casually discuss each other's son and daughter over coffee. If the parents like each other and if they both agree that one can take good care of the other, a formal introduction of the guy and the girl will follow. Not long after that, the engagement party will be arranged, but contact between the couple should still be minimized until after the wedding day and there is no such thing as kissing or holding hands until then. Casual dating in Iran is strongly frowned upon and as a woman, it decreases your value, which in turn risks rejection from a guy’s parents.
4. South Korea
It is as if a woman is being lured into a marriage in South Korea. Similar to Japan, dating doesn’t happen until your college years in South Korea, but once people actually do start dating, it’s like the woman has a servant by her side. It’s very common for a South Korean guy to hold his girlfriend’s handbag (just imagine your guy walking around with your designer bag…) and he does everything to make his girl happy. But once married, the roles switch and the man expects his wife to be a more traditional woman, who cooks, cleans and takes care of the children. What a trap…
5. France
A French man must be every modern woman’s dream. Where in most countries, women sit and wait for text messages and phone calls from their date, the French are actually keen to stay in touch with you. You can expect a French man to contact you the day after a date and some say that they consider a first date as the start of a relationship. He will tell you that you’re the most beautiful woman on earth, he will send you flowers, sweet text messages and he is certainly not afraid to say he loves you. However, a French man is also traditional and doesn’t enjoy doing chores in the house. And yes, they are also known to sometimes have more than one lover and I’ve even read that French women accept their husband’s behavior widely.
6. Brazil
Apparently, when you walk into a bar in Brazil, you’ll see couples kissing in every corner. Here, it’s common to kiss on first dates, as they see it as part of getting to know each other. Additionally, they believe it can save time, since a first kiss basically says it all. Brazilian men are expected to approach women and they may even be teased by their friends if they don’t do so. Also, their comments could potentially offend women in other countries, but the Brazilian women love it when men say things like, “We should get together, so you can cook me dinner.” To women in Brazil, it’s a sign of masculinity and it shows exactly what the man wants from her.
7. Italy
The Italians are a traditional bunch. When it comes to dating, men look for women who have physical beauty and who are able to do household chores, such as cooking, cleaning and taking care of children. Women, on the other hand, look for men who can offer them financial stability. Looks are important to both sexes. Also, the Italian man is coddled by his mother, meaning a woman must show her respect in order to be loved by the man. It’s common for a girl's parents to do a background check on the guy, if their daughter expresses serious interest, and in the past, it was even common for one of the parents to accompany the couple on their first date.
Isn’t it funny how dating customs are different in every part of the world? And can you imagine what dating would be like if you would date someone from another country? Some of you girls must have had experience with foreign dating customs once or twice in your lives, and I’m very curious to hear the strange dating customs you came across in your relationship. Will you share them in the comments, so we can all learn about how foreign men date?
Comments
Carma: Yah these seem pretty out of date
unicornface: This just seems like a list of stereotypes to me.
Riapark: I live in South korea and hav lived here for more than twenty yrs. I have to admit that some woman does ask her boyfriend to carry their purse, but its not that common if a girl respects her boyfriend. It happens for a couple when a girl wants to dominate over her boyfriend. Usually these kind of girl just want to be served by her boyfriend bcoz she thinks she worth more than her boyfriend. These kind of person is considered to have high self confidence. Therefore I just want to say this is not a stereotype of a dating culture in South korea to do evrything for girlfriend. It just happen to some. :)
Yyy: I live in Korea and I hope people actually don't believe this..honestly
Kat: This is a very interesting article, but I know for a fact most Dutch don't do any of the things listed!
Moka: Im half japanese and living in Japan . Those are pretty old "traditions" . They date who they want when they want .. I agree with unicornface !
Mssweetiejae: French guys were starting to sound pretty good until the 'more than one lover' part. I don't fūck with that
Aki: Josefin, thank you for your comment. If you hadn't I would have commented exactly what you said. I am Japanese and I am usually not offended by stereotypes but very disappointed that AllWomenStalk has this article up...
Josefin: I live in Japan and I just feel I need to say that the information about Japanese dating customs are not correct, they're just as the other people said, old stereotypes. There IS dating, maybe not as in "American dating" where it's okay to go on dates with many people at the same time, but in their early twenties or in high school people do date and don't think of marriage, it's usually when women start getting close to 25-26 that they're getting all anxious to get married. Also, on Valentines Day, the chocolate does not have to be white, it's just has to be chocolate. Even though guys are supposed to give back chocolate on white day, some guys just don't, even if they like you, if they do it doesn't have to be the double amount, I heard of it, but a lot of guys actually don't go by this, as they still have to "confess" they like the girl in words anyway in order to start a relationship. And I think the one about Korea is just ignorant too, it's like you're making fun of their culture, again being very stereotypical. The guy isn't being a "servant", they're just being kind to their girlfriend by carrying their purse, they do this in Japan too. It might seem strange at first, but western men pulling out chairs is strange to them.. see my point? The marriage thing is maybe to you a "trap", but just because he works and she is a housewife doesn't mean he suddenly starts treating her bad does it? And even if Korea is still not that gender-equal yet, women do engage in fields such as medicine, law, engineering etc. Instead of writing in a style that makes it look like you're mocking other countries dating culture, without even looking up the real facts first, please, do get accurate information and present it more objectively...
:
Feedback Junction
Where Thoughts and Opinions Converge